Minarets to be banned in Switzerland
Switzerland became the latest country to fall into the trap laid by Osama Bin Laden and the likes since September 11, 2009. More than 57% of the Swiss voters approved a referendum to ban the building of minarets. This decision by the voters was unexpected considering that the Swiss are well known for their openness and neutrality. Switzerland is one of the most visited countries in the world and one of the most diverse countries in Europe (German, French, Italian and Romansh are the official languages spoken in Switzerland). About 20% of the people who live in Switzerland are immigrants and temporary workers from neighboring countries like Italy.
According to reports there are only about 4 minarets in Switzerland and the Muslims account for only about 5% of the overall population. So is there a need at this moment for such a ban? Many people who live in countries like India which have been under attack by militant Muslims and their organizations have figured out the basic objectives of these attacks. The main goal is to create a division between the Muslims and the rest of the society. In India they expect that these attacks will result in a Hindu-Muslim bloodbath. Fortunately for India the communities have “wised up”. The relationship between the Muslims and the other religious groups in India has never been as good as it is today.
Governments that face such attacks also tend to react irrationally. The American invasion of Iraq is a very good and expensive example. The Swiss decision to ban the Minarets falls into this category. Switzerland or Swiss citizens have not been the target of any of the attacks post 09/11 that I am aware of. However, the pressure put on by Militant Islam is beginning to take a toll on the Swiss public. The reaction of the public unfortunately will only complicate the problem.
Many who support this ban indicate that the ban will prevent the growth of Sharia Law and the related fundamentalist ideology. Any person with a reasonable IQ knows that the real reason is Islamaphobia. Militant Islamic ideology does not grow inside of Mosques that have minarets. Most of the Mosques in Western societies are carefully monitored by local authorities. Muslims in Switzerland are mostly immigrants from Turkey and might not be inclined to follow Sharia Law anyway. The supporters and the recruiters are more likely to stand outside these Mosques and prey on the vulnerable, use charitable foundations that take care of the needs of the poor or seek followers using the Internet.
The largest party in Switzerland, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) led the effort to ban the Minarets. SVP Member of Parliament Ulrich Schluer was quoted in the BBC as saying “very Muslim is allowed to come together with other Muslims to have the religion together. But a minaret is a political symbol. It is a symbol for introducing, step-by-step, Sharia rights also in Switzerland, parallel to the Swiss law which is a result of Swiss democracy. And this is the problem. It is nothing against Muslims”. He sounds very similar to many of the right wing nuts in the United States. His reasoning that building a minaret will introduce Sharia rights in Switzerland is preposterous. How come the same reasoning does not hold true for Christian Churches with towers in Switzerland?
Maybe all this is a misunderstanding. Instead of calling it a minaret the Muslims in Switzerland should call it a tower.
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- Is India or America Better At Tackling Terrorism?
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- American Official: Muslims in India are Not Terrorists
Category: Culture & Religion
The thing is that there was a sustained campaign against these minarets by the right wing SVP which made it an anti feminine issue. You can see what a sustained campaign can do to unsuspecting population. Otherwise how can minarets threaten anyone. This is a calculated political move. Pertinent to mention that elections in Switzerland are in 2011 and this move by the right wing party has a lot to do with this polarization of gullible people. Also, it has a lot to do with the fact that Islam is not understood properly by non Muslims. It is generally considered a very rigid faith with extremist views which is not really correct. Mind you I’m not a Muslim.
Thank you for taking the time and responding. I personally do not think that the Swiss are gullible. In this case they are “hating” and they know it. I agree with everything else you said.